Book Image

Developer Career Masterplan

By : Heather VanCura, Bruno Souza
5 (1)
Book Image

Developer Career Masterplan

5 (1)
By: Heather VanCura, Bruno Souza

Overview of this book

Written by industry experts that have spent the last 20+ years helping developers grow their careers, this book offers invaluable insights and guidance tailored to the specific needs of technical professionals. By discovering the secret of continuous learning and adapting in the ever-evolving field of software development, you’ll explore various learning paths with formal and informal methods, as well as gain an understanding of the value of certifications to validate your skills. This book will teach you the significance of building a strong support network, holding crucial conversations, and taking ownership of your career growth. You'll delve into acquiring both soft and hard skills, becoming a well-rounded and sought-after developer. Packed with practical examples, stories of successful developers, and real-world applications, the chapters will equip you with actionable advice on how to push beyond your comfort zone and embracing communities to enhance your teamwork abilities. Additionally, you’ll uncover the benefits of joining open-source projects, speaking at conferences, and building a personal brand to amplify your visibility and reputation. By the end of this book, you'll have a well-laid-out long-term and short-term plan for your career progression, equipping you with advanced technical skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to effectively manage relationships within your organization.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
1
Part 1 The Basics: Learn and Practice the Technical Skills
7
Part 2 Get Involved: Participate in the Community
13
Part 3 Create Impact: Share and Lead

A word about meritocracy

A lot has been said about open source and how it is a meritocracy. When you hear that, it is easy to assume that it is because the best and top developers are the ones building open source software. That is their merit. But in reality, the meritocracy that is mentioned is basically who is putting in more effort. In open source projects, people that put more work and more focus into the project tend to be the most respected and end up setting the direction of the work.

You may find that this is very positive because it is not about how good you are today that will allow you to join an open source project, but how much effort and focus you are willing to put into it.
The more effort you put in, and the more help you provide, the better you become as a professional and a developer.

Every open source project needs lots of help! Many developers only think about helping by writing code and becoming a committer of the project. But open source projects...